Assessment of Social Work Practice in Refugee Settlement Management in Cross River State

Managing refugee settlements in Nigeria demands specialised social work competencies in protection, case management, and community welfare coordination within legally complex and resource-constrained environments. This study assesses social work practice in refugee settlement management in Cross River State, South South Nigeria, focusing on refugee-hosting communities in Ogoja and Obubra local government areas. A mixed-method design is employed, with 65 social workers, settlement managers, and refugee community leaders participating through structured questionnaires and key informant interviews. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis are applied in data analysis. The study finds that social workers in refugee settings perform registration support, vulnerability assessment, psychosocial counselling, and inter-agency coordination functions. However, staff-to-refugee ratios are described as critically low, and the absence of a national social work protocol for refugee services creates inconsistency in professional practice standards. Women and unaccompanied children in settlements are identified as particularly inadequately served within existing resource constraints. Recommendations include developing a national social work framework for refugee settlement management, increasing staffing levels to meet UNHCR professional practice standards, providing ongoing training in refugee protection law for all practising social workers in settlement settings, and strengthening psychosocial service coverage for women and children. Keywords: refugee settlement, social work practice, Cross River State, protection, case management